Good Memories in the Smokies

Nature Earl Plato
Deep in the Smoky Mountains at Cade’s Cove I bought some CDs and a video. If you like the scenery of the Smokies you’ll love this video. Some of the great instrumental (mainly banjo} Christian folk songs accompany it. So when viewing it you are blessed both visually and spiritually. I will watch it again in 2008 and relive some great nature memories. “Make new memories but keep the old ones.” Sure, I am already planning new nature trips mainly in Ontario this spring. But why not go back these few years and reminisce in the Great Smoky and Shenandoah Mountains’ environments? That’s what this article is about. It’s a look back in order to motivate me to get out into the great outdoors.
It was not an easy hike. We were starting a 1 1/2 mile round trip to the summit of Stony Man Mountain. It’s the second highest peak in Shenandoah National Park. We were mainly in the woods and couldn’t see the mountain top that resembles the face of a man when viewed from a distance. We’ll take their word for it.
Nature’s changes can surprise and astound. That’s a Yellow birch just like the ones at Marcy’s Woods here in Fort Erie. But this yellow birch, a good foot across, was splitting a big rock in two! How could it happen? I believe that over hundreds of years cracks developed in this boulder from freezing and thawing. These cracks began to collect soil and possibly 50 to 75 years ago a yellow birch seed fell on the soil in the crack. Then the miracle of sending long roots down through the crack to find moisture and nutrients occurred. It appears that the tree is healthy and the growing roots continue to slowly pry the rock apart. Amazing!
I had talked earlier in the day with a Forest Ranger about the American chestnut. Here was a stand of grayish dead trees and logs. Sadly, a fungus disease killed these American chestnuts by the early 1930’s. The ranger had told me that the American chestnut has tannin in its inner bark. This makes the wood resistant to decay. That helps explain this stand of dead American chestnuts. Until the chestnut blight I was told that one out of every three trees here in the Shenandoah forest were the beautiful flowering American chestnuts.
Now that the chestnuts died the oaks took over. That’s a tree I like too. We entered the oak forest, mainly red oak, I believe. The acorns from these large oaks would feed many of Shenandoah’s animals. We saw squirrels, chipmunks, deer, ruffed grouse and smaller birds. We did not see any bear or wild turkeys that also feed on the acorns. We did hear though the calls of the Pileated woodpecker. No. I didn’t see any at this time but the elongated holes appeared on many of he dead trees. Only a pileated would do that!.
Across mountain streams on a marked trail. But wait! That huge log ahead was the only way to get over. No guard rails just good balance. We all made it! Then a ravine ahead. Keep going!
Now higher and higher around a bend. Down below all is green. Green? Some of the rocks here on the cliff side contain green minerals. Greenstone we are told. Take a chunk? That’s a “No! No!” This is a National Park.
I am sweating and breathing heavily. I was told that you would find yourself in a place along this Stony Man Nature Trail where there is no need to hurry. This was it! I was tuckered out. I sunk to the ground and laid back and closed my eyes. That’s all it took. I felt refreshed and ready to go on. O.K. I admit we were at the summit and now everything would be down hill. I had my newly purchased trusty Shenandoah walking staff and it really helped this old guy with his gimpy knees. We were down in good time back to the parking lot.
This was only a memory but a good one.
While Elaine and I rested, our daughter and her husband went for a horseback ride. Oh! to be young again. Much later we two went down to the dining room and then decided first to take a short walk to the Bridal Path just in time to meet our two young people returning from their ride.
Stony Mountain is just off Skyline Drive at Luray, Virginia. That’s right the famed Luray Caverns are just around the corner. But that’s another day.